Compiling Python source code

[Bruce Sass]

On 28 May 2001, JimB417 wrote:

> Hello all,
>
> I downloaded the RPM source files for Python 2.1 (expat-1.1-3tummy.src.rpm,
> python2-2.1-4.src.rpm ) and I'm having problems with compiling on my Linux
> box. i open a terminal window and type:
>
> rpm --rebuild expat-1.1-3tummy.src.rpm
>
> After a few moments (and all seems to have gone well) I type at the prompt:
>
> rpm --rebuild python2-2.1-4.src.rpm,
>
> and I get the following message:
>
> expat 1.1-3tummy is needed by python2-2.1-4.

install the expat*.rpm you built with the first "rpm ..."

> What am I doing wrong here? I've been at this for several days now.
I tried

"--build" only builds a package, you need to install it also.
(and if I'm wrong, someone who uses rpm will correct me :)

> installing the compiled binary of 2.1 but there was a dependency
file problem I
> could not resolve, so I thought I would try compiling the source
instead. I've

Well...
if there is a dependency problem with the binary package,
and you are making your own binary package from the same .src.rpm,
you could have the same dependency problem with your binary package,
depending on whether the problem is a missing package or you just have
a different version of the depended upon package.

Packaging systems work great when you don't stray from the main
archive; once you stray you sometimes need to decide if it is best to
re-package from the archive's src package, or get the original src
tarball and build into /usr/local.


- Bruce